Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) on top of preseason regional football poll as five different teams receive first-place votes
GAINESVILLE — High School Football is back.
The 2019 regular season gets going this week and there is plenty of parity in The Prep Zone Power Poll fueled by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville
Five different teams received first-place votes. But once again it’s Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) at the top of the rankings as the season gets underway.
The Conquerors finished 13-1 and were knocked out in the Region 1-5A finals by North Marion (Citra) last season. That loss dropped Trinity Christian from the top spot they had occupied most of the season to #5 in the final poll.
But Trinity Christian has dropped down to 3A this season, where they won four consecutive state titles from 2013-16. And they received four of the nine first-place votes to start the 2019 season on top of the regional all-classification rankings.
It will be battle of the two top-ranked teams in the rankings as Trinity Christian travels to #2 Columbia (Lake City) on Friday. The Conquerors edged the Tigers, 31-30, in a classic game in Jacksonville a year ago.
Columbia also received a first-place vote as they will be in 6A in 2018. The Tigers were ousted by #8 Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville), 31-27, in the Region 1-7A semifinals last season. Lee is following Columbia to 6A and will participate in District 2-6A with the Tigers in 2019.
Two-time defending 4A state champion Raines (Jacksonville) is 3rd.
The Vikings received two first-place votes as the move into 5A this season. Raines was the number one team in the final all-classification regional rankings in 2018.
Defending 8A state champion Mandarin (Jacksonville) is 4th.
The Mustangs, behind quarterback Carson Beck, a University of Georgia commit, rolled through the 8A bracket to win their first state title in any sport in 2018. Mandarin also received a first-place vote after finishing 2nd in the final rankings a year ago.
Rounding out the top five is Vanguard (Ocala).
The Knights finished last season 12-1 with a tough loss to Armwood in the Region 2-6A final. Vanguard moves to 5A this season and will play in District 6-5A along with fellow Marion County schools North Marion, Belleview, Lake Weir (Ocala), and #17T Dunnellon, who moves up from 4A. The Knights won their opener on Thursday night, 33-15, at RV Gainesville.
Two-time defending 1A state champion Madison County starts 6th.
The Cowboys lost only at Columbia in 2018 and cruised through four 1A opponents in last season’s playoffs by a combined score of 171-40. Madison County is the fifth and final team to earn a first-place vote.
Last year’s 5A state runner-up North Marion (Citra) begins the new season 7th.
The Colts won a road games at #10 Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) and Trinity Christian to advance to their first state title game in football program history. But quarterback Corey Wilsher was injured early in the 5A state title game in Orlando and the North Marion was beaten 48-10 by Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale).
Rounding out the top 10 is Lee, followed by Mainland (Daytona Beach) at #9 and Nature Coast Tech 10th.
A total of 43 teams received votes from the nine pollsters in the preseason rankings.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, basketball, baseball & softball teams (regardless of FHSAA classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2019 FOOTBALL POLL #1 (PRESEASON)
(School, followed by classification, first place votes, final 2018 record and total voting points)
1. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (4) (13-1) – 165
2. Columbia (Lake City) (6A) (1) (10-2) – 151
3. Raines (Jacksonville) (5A) (2) (13-1) – 150
4. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (8A) (1) (11-4) – 146
5. Vanguard (Ocala) (6A) (12-1) – 145
6. Madison County (1A) (1) (13-1) – 141
7. North Marion (Citra) (5A) (12-3) – 124
8. Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) (6A) (10-2) – 108
9. Mainland (Daytona Beach) (6A) (7-4) – 104
10. Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (5A) (11-2) – 77
11. Bolles (Jacksonville) (5A) (8-5) – 74
12. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (8A) (7-3) – 53
13. Hawthorne (1A) (12-1) – 48
14. The Villages (4A) (11-1) – 47
15. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (8A) (7-3) – 45
16. Chiefland (1A) (10-2) – 34
17T. Dunnellon (5A) (8-5) – 32
17T. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (8-5) – 32
19. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (8A) (5-6) – 24
20. DeLand (8A) (8-3) – 21
Also receiving votes: Ponte Vedra (6A) (8-3) -17; West Nassau (Callahan) (4A) (9-3) – 17; Flagler Palm Coast (8A) (7-4) – 14; Orange Park (5A) (6-4) – 12; Buchholz (Gainesville) (7A) (7-4) – 11; Menendez (St. Augustine) (5A) (8-3) – 8; P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) (4A) (10-2) – 7; Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (7A) (7-4) – 6; Gainesville (6A) (7-4) – 6; Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (7-5) – 5; Baldwin (3A) (9-2) – 5; Bradford (Starke) (4A) (5-6) – 4; Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (8A) (4-6) – 4; Crescent City (1A) (9-3) – 3; St. Joseph Academy (St. Augustine) (2A) (9-1) – 3; Dixie County (Glen St. Mary) (1A) (8-4) – 2; St. Augustine (6A) (5-6) – 2; Aucilla Christian (Monticello) (2A) (7-2) – 1; Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (8-4) 1; Lake Weir (Ocala) (6A) (8-4) – 1; Palatka (4A) (3-7) – 1; South Sumter (Bushnell) (4A) (5-6) – 1.
